A Generous Heart
by HoldTheTruthForever
Summary: When a certain white mare develops brain cancer, her friends do everything in their power to make those last days worthwhile.


**_ A__ Beautiful Heart_**

* * *

**___Death is nothing at all,_**

**___I have only slipped away into the next room._**

**___Whatever we were to each other, that we are still._**

**___Call me by my old familiar name._**

**___Speak to me in the easy way which you always used._**

**___ Laugh as we always laughed_**

**___at the little jokes we enjoyed together. _**

**___Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me._**

**___Let my name be the household word it always was._**

**___Let it be spoken without effort._**

**___Life means all that it ever meant._**

**___It is the same as it ever was;_**

**___there is absolutely unbroken continuity._**

**___Why should I be out of your mind_**

**___because I am out of your sight?_**

**___I am but waiting for you, for an interval,_**

**___somewhere very near just around the corner..._**

**___All is well. Nothing is past, nothing is lost._**

_**One brief moment and all will be as it was before**_,

**___only better, infinitely happier_**

**___and forever we will be one together.  
_**

**___ -Henry Scott Holland_**

* * *

Rarity gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the insipid filly bouncing around the inspiration room. "Hey! Hey Rarity! I could get you some more fabrics!" The bubbly filly asked as she hopped excitedly behind Rarity.

The pearl white unicorn pushed two pieces of linen through the sewing machine whilst blowing a lock of hair out of her face. "No no, Sweetie. It's quite alright." She tried sounding as kind as possible, but came off as annoyed.

Her little sister didn't get the message. "What if I deliver some of those dresses? I could do that, and then you'd be done faster so we could play!" Her voice cracked. She galloped towards the cluster of mannequins garbed with varying dresses, looking up at them with enthusiasm glistening in her eyes..

Rarity stopped sewing and groaned aloud, "Sweetie _please_! I'm **trying** to work!" She levitated her red half-moon spectacles to the desk and glared at her little sister cowering behind a mannequin. "I know you want to play, I know you want to help, put I** have** to get this order done by tomorrow!" Rarity hated it when Sweetie always insisted on helping her work. She preferred to work anyway, not play in the mud like some brutish animal.

Sweetie Belle hung her head low. "Okay." She muttered sadly. Rarity sighed in relief.

The filly broke her somber trot at the doorway and took one last look at her hard-working sister before hopping down the stairs.

After several minutes of careful sewing, the unicorn completed a mint colored polyester dress. She levitated it towards a bare mannequin, beaming proudly at her handy work. "Lovely, simply marvelous." She set it on the plastic mold's back, straightening the hem. "Ms. Shores will absolutely adore these gowns, I just know it!" She let out a blissful shriek, feeling nothing but pure joy. Rarity felt like she was finally making something of her life, her career was finally going to get somewhere after working with the famous pop star.

"And only..." Her prior enthusiasm and joy was replaced by exhaustion. "...nine more dresses, ugh!" She stared at the ground in defeat, then shot a determined gaze at the sewing machine across the room.

She's gone too far to quit now, and she wasn't going to let sleep deprivation get the better of her! Rarity trotted towards the machine, then stopped half way across the room, an an unfathomable pain took over. She felt as though a knife was lodged in her lungs. Breathing turned into labored gasps. She fell to her haunches and placed a hoof over her heart, exerting pressure. Rarity's mind was cluttered with terror, _What's going on? What's happening?_

Each breath became increasingly more excruciating, as if the knife lodged itself deeper with every inhale. The feeling was unbearable, tears blinded Rarity's vision. She knew she wasn't choking, she could breath just fine. But there was a stabbing pain in her chest that never ceased. The unicorn collapsed on her side, shuddered exhales shook her body.

She gathered all the strength she could muster and screamed for help, "Swee-Sweetie Belle!" She cried out at the boundless pain inflicted from speaking. She hoped to Celestia that Sweetie wasn't outside with her friends.

Rarity felt nauseous and dizzy, her vision blackened. The last thing she heard before slipping into unconsciousness was somepony's frantic hoofsteps clambering up the stairs.

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Rarity strenuously forced open her eyelids. She glanced around the room, taking in her surroundings. Cream colored walls surrounded her, the floor covered with glossy tiles, and the room reeked of disinfectant and floor cleaner. She wrinkled her nose at the strong scent. Her sapphire eyes shifted to the left to find a patient monitor beeping in a steady rhythm. Tubes fell from beneath the monitor and led to a wristband grappled around the seam above her left hoof.

Beside the patient monitor was an I.V. bag filled with a clear liquid strung up on a pole. The bag tapered at the bottom resulting in a tube that connected to another wristband on Rarity's right foreleg, around her elbow. The bag was half full, hinting at the period of time Rarity was asleep.

She just lied back in her bed, pulling the cotton blanket in closer. The fashionista cringed at her hospital gown. _Ugh, green. _She took note of how it matched the curtains.

Out of pure boredom, Rarity fluffed her purple curled mane, still retaining it's unwavering form. And out of nowhere, the horrific memories of her near death experience flooded back like a tidal wave. Her heart beat faster as she started panting heavily, wondering what happened with her. The patient monitor's beeping accelerated.

_No, it's probably nothing! Just some silly little accident, the doctor will give me medicine, and I'll be on my way to finish those dresses by dinner time. No worries. _Rarity knew she was probably kidding herself, but it gave false reassurance, which was welcomed. The monitor's melody declined.

Nurse Redheart walked in the room balancing a clipboard on her back. Her eyes widened a bit at the awakened patient. "Oh, Miss Rarity you're awake." She gave a smile, though her eyes shone with unease.

And to Rarity's observant eye, she immediately picked up on this. "What? What's the matter?"

Nurse Redheart sighed guiltily and walked beside Rarity's bed, gently placing a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "Miss. Rarity, you ugh, you had a heart attack."

Rarity gaped, "You're not saying I'm fat, are you?"

The nurse pony dropped her hoof and looked down. With a faint smirk she said, "No. No, you're not fat. Sometimes ponies get a heart attack if they're under allot of stress."

The unicorn let out a massive sigh, "Oh Nurse Redheart, you have no idea what a relief that is!" Rarity knew what the nurse was going to tell her, "I know, I'll stop being stressed out once I get this order completed tomorrow."

The saddened expression on the white medical pony didn't change. Her icy blue eyes remained locked on the ground, refusing to look up at Rarity.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked, genuinely concerned and growing to be concerned.

Redheart closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, "Rarity, I'm not sure how else to say this, but-" She cleared her throat, "While you were asleep we did a medical examination and we found...something."

Rarity felt a knot tighten in her throat. She tried asking 'what' yet no sound came out.

Nurse Redheart continued, "I'm afraid..." She spoke every word as clearly as possible, trying to maintain her composure. "we found a tumor inside your brain." She took a deep breath, feeling tears burning her eyelids. "Brain cancer to be exact," she croaked.

Rarity felt her heart drop to the pits of her stomach.

* * *

Applejack trotted over to the four worn-out ponies carrying a dish with five mugs of cider balanced on her back. "Ah really wanna thank y'all for helpin' me with the apple buckin'." She praised her friends gathered around the white picket fence encircling the barn house.

Each pony slid a hoof through the handle of each mug, smacking their lips at the thirst quenching beverage. Applejack slid the tray off her back with the last mug still on top. Right before it crashed to the ground, she flawlessly caught it in her maw and grabbed hold through the handle.

The sweltering ponies, beaten down by Celestia's merciless summer sun, gulped down their drinks without haste. A.J took a steady taste of her cider, savoring every drop. She let out an emphasized sigh and said, "Even if Rarity's too prissy to be gettin' her hooves a 'lil dirty." The comment made Rainbow Dash laugh in between sips.

Fluttershy buried her muzzle in the empty wooden mug and said, "I heard she had an order to complete." Her murmur was barley audible enough to reach Applejack.

"Aw fooey that order. She could set aside an hour of her time to help us in the orchard. She just don't wanna get dirty." Applejack's comment seemed rude, but her tone was a joking one.

Pinkie Pie set her mug on the ground and excitedly said, "I hope she's not all-" The bubbly pony stopped to stare blankly out in the distance, her blue eyes looking out into the orchard, "-like she did last time!" The pony hopped in place.

Applejack quirked a brow, as did Twilight. Rainbow Dash was too engrossed in her beverage to care. "What's that supposed to mean, sugarcube?" At first, A.J. didn't think it meant much, just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. But the thing about her comment that peeked everypony's attention was that it's about Rarity.

Pinkie didn't break her cheerful demeanor and started explaining in a very hyper tone, "It was last Thursday, at Sugarcube Corner. Rarity was helping me bake this super huge cake! And-And she started getting a headache, so she sat down for a minute. Right? Right. I told her too keep an eye on the oven, and when I came back she was all zoned out, like-" She did her imitation again for a brief moment, "And the cake was all burnt up! Like 'Ew! Who wants a burnt up cake!' But I told her it's all right before I noticed she was zoned out during my entire lecture. She said something about going home and getting some sleep." The vibrant pink pony beamed proudly at her friends.

Rainbow Dash shook her head, trying to make sense of what Pinkie just said. Fluttershy took a quiet sip of cider from her mug. Twilight placed a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "Pinkie, that's serious! Did you try getting her to a hospital?"

She was actually surprised to hear the carefree pony's answer. "Well, duh! It's not normal for a pony to go all-" She stared out into space for a third time, wearing thin on the ponies. "I asked her the next day to see if she was getting better and said, 'Yup' so I walked away."

"Just like that?" Twilight asked in disbelief. The frizzle haired pony nodded enthusiastically, her weightless mane shifting through the gentle summer breeze. Rainbow Dash sporadically flew up into the air, out of sight.

Applejack balanced her self on her hind legs and started collecting the mugs. "Well," she said leaning over to pick up Pinkie's stein, "if she's fine, she's fine, no use cryin' over it."

Rainbow Dash came back down like an anvil and stopped just before hitting the ground, blowing some clouds of dust up into the air. Above her was a dark cloud, rumbling with thunder built up inside. She had a devious grin and said, "We should go over there and have a little 'fun.'"

Pinkie Pie did her infamous snort, complying with Dash's harmless prank. Fluttershy flew up to eye level with the azure pegasus, who rose a brow at this gesture, "Please don't be mad Rainbow, but Rarity really needs to do her work." Dash's face fell to a bored expression as she splayed across the black cloud like a bed. "She came to my cottage three days ago and excitedly told me how her career is finally 'getting somewhere.'" She gave a meek laugh. "I'm not sure what she was saying, but she seemed pretty happy. After that she just ran off."

Back on the ground, Applejack came back from her house with a new tray of cider filled mugs. Rainbow maneuvered beside the cloud and kicked it out into the distance. She frenziedly dashed down beside the orange earth pony and took a mug. Finely ground up dirt shot up into the air, causing Twilight to cough and grimace at the pegasus.

A.J. continued Fluttershy's tale, "Yeah, she then came to me happier than a school-filly and started blabbering 'bout Sapphire Shores cuttin' a deal with her." The cowpony silently chuckled at the memory. "If that's what got her cooped up in that boutique, then she has my felicitations."

Applejack partook in some cider and rose her mug. "Here's to Rarity and her ever-growin' pursuits!"

"To Rarity!" They all cheered, clashing their mugs together.

* * *

Rarity blinked a couple times, stunned by this abrupt news. Redheart wiped the mascara running down her face. "I'm...I'm sorry," Rarity began with a snicker of disbelief, "but...that-that has to be some sort of mistake!" She shot the nurse a nervous, somewhat eerie grin.

The somber look on Nurse Redheart remained unbroken. "Tests confirmed it." She said in a crisp voice. "I'm sorry, Miss."

The white unicorn darted her eyes around the room, as if this was some set-up. "No. No, this isn't happening. _I've_been healthy my whole life! How in Equestria could one just develop..._cancer,_" Her heart ached at the thought of it, "It doesn't just appear out of nowhere!"

Redheart brushed a lanky strand of pink hair out of her eyes, tucking it under her nurse cap. Feeling partially relieved she got the hardest part out of the way though her heart still ached for the hapless unicorn. "Ponies just develop brain tumors over time. To this day, we still don't know what causes them."

Rarity's mind was in utter chaos. At first, she was in denial, thinking this is some sort of sick prank committed by Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie. Then she grew terrified; thoughts of leaving her friends, dying alone, and the Carousel Boutique being condemned were all possibilities crossing the bridge between imagination and reality. What about Sweetie Belle? How would her family react to the news of their loving, caring daughter being snatched away by the Pony of Death?

How would her friends feel? Would Rainbow be angry? Would Applejack even care? Will Pinkie Pie still be the exuberant pony that loves to make others smile? And what'll happen with poor fragile Fluttershy? She'll obviously take the news the hardest.

Every one of these thoughts hit Rarity like a punch in the face. Fat salty tears slid down her face, creating slightly dark tracks in her fur. _Why? Why did this have to happen to **me? **_She screamed angrily in her mind as she buried her face in the light blanket, the spot becoming soaked within seconds.

Rarity cried the hardest she has in her entire life to the point where her choking sobs evolved into violent coughs. Black mascara and baby blue eyeshadow smeared across her face, making her not only feel terrible, but look terrible as well.

"I'm-I'm sorry you have to see me like...like..._THIS!_" Rarity paused long enough to say in a clear voice before a new wave of tears loomed.

Nurse Redheart nodded silently, though her patient could sense it. She felt awful that the wave of bad news would not end there. She placed a calming hoof on Rarity's arched back, just in between the point where the hospital gown laced together, and rubbed it in a circular motion. Like magic, it caused the unicorn's violent sobs to slow into muffled cries. "It's been there awhile, Rarity. We're actually surprised to see you lasted this long!" She said in a moderately upbeat tone.

Rarity shot her head up from the wet spot on the blanket and fell back. The nurse quickly retracted her hoof. Staring blankly up at the ceiling, Rarity sarcastically replied with, "Thanks, that makes me feel _sooo_much better!" The corners of her eyes were blood red.

"I'm sorry." The nurse pony apologized sincerely. "What I was trying to say is patients don't usually last long with a tumor like yours."

The fashionista sniffled. Her head fell to the right, away from the nurse and out at the window pasted with an expansive sky. From her spot, Rarity could see nothing more than that. "But there's a catch. There's _always_a catch." She said dryly.

Nurse Redheart swallowed hard, feeling like her mouth was filled with cotton. "We're not sure how long you have. It could be days. It could be a week. It could be a month."

Rarity said nothing, still mulling over her situation of grand magnitude, a blue jay zipped by the window caught her attention for a brief moment. It reminded her of Fluttershy, outside, living freely. Not here, cooped up in the hospital waiting for your doomsday clock to reach midnight.

The white earth pony broke the awkward silence. "Your little sister saved your life. She said she'd be back as soon as she can with all of your friends." Rarity's lips curved into a faint smile. The nurse took note of that and mimicked the notion. "Would you like to see them when they get here?"

Rarity nodded her head a couple times, still contemplating the gorgeous blue sky. "Yes...Yes I would like that very much."


End file.
